Fluid-operated rapid traverse mechanism for winding strand material



July 21, 1953 I R. F. DYER 2,645,228

FLUID-OPERATED RAPID TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING STRAND MATERIAL Filed March 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Fig.

RICHARD F DYE IN V EN TOR.

BY -W ATTORNEYS July 21, 1953 Filed March 13, 1952 R. F. DYER FLUID-OPERATED RAPID TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR WINDING STRAND MATERIAL RICHARD F. DYEI? INVENTOR.

5y we M ATTORNEYS Patented July 21, 1953 ATENT OFFICE FLUID-OPERATED RAPID TRAVERSE MECH- ANISM FOR WINDING STRAND MATERIAL RichardF. Dyer, Kingsport, Tenn, assignorito Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.1 -'Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 13, 1952, Serial No. 276,356

This invention relates mechanism for textile yarns or the like in which yarn may be wound on suitable supports such as.

cones, tubes, or the like. It is particularly adapted forvuse with'rnachines of the classdescribed employing a fluid pressure operated traverse mechanism in which a yarn guide is carried by a piston oscillatable in a slotted tube. For such machines, reference may behad to the following patents:

2,548,523, Richard F. Dyer and Wendell G. Faw,

granted April 10, 1951, and 2,571,694, RichardF. Dyer, grantedoctober'lo', 1951.

Such mechanisms work satisfactorily, and extrernely-high speedasuch as for instance 1200 oscillations per. minute, can be obtained with them. There have been in the past, however, sev- I eral difficulties; first, these machines have been much noisier than the slower speed mechanical traverse mechanisms as might be expected and,

second, there have occasionally been difiiculties in impurities, dust or dirt collecting in the pneumatic system and moving from the slotted guide tube f the piston into contact with the yarn or pack age of yarn being wound.v

:An object of the present invention is to .over

comethese difiiculties in known apparatus. Another object is to provide a mechanism which is quiet in operation, Another object isto provide a mechanism in which the fluid pressureprei"- erably airis so controlled that it cannot pass over the yarn being wound. Another object of the invention is to provide a valve system for highspeed traverse mechanisms which is self-con tained and in which the incoming and outgoing air will be retained in the valve and in the inlet and outlet ystems. Still another object of my inventionis to provide a simple valve structure in: which the noise-of operation can be greatly rdeuced, if not entirely eliminated. A still further object of my invention is to provide a pneumatic system which can readily be mufiled. Other Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of th right hand valve, the parts. being shown in an open:

to a high-speed traverse 13 Claims. (01.242 43) position from which position air entering the inlet may react (in the valve members driving the pis ton to the opposite cylinder, which is shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of the valve at the left-hand end of the slotted tubewith the parts in their rest position excluding air from the slotted tube and in position to be struck by the piston moving in the direction shown by the arrow.

My invention comprises an improved valve system in which the fluid pressure passes through a1 closed .pathto and from the valve andis controlled by the ;valve to prevent the entrance of air into the slotted guide tube for the piston carryingthe yarn guide. One of these valves is arranged at each end of theslotted guide tube and the valve elements are momentarily operated by the piston reaching the end of the tube to momentarily admit .fiuid pressure, which immediately reverses the'direction of movementof the valve members so that the piston, in turn, is struck and israpidly moved toward the opposite valve Meanwhile, the valve'remains in a closed position.

- More specifically, and referring to Fig. 1-, I provide a compressed air conduit l0 leading to a suitable source and having the desired pressure. In this conduit ill there is positioned a valve H,'-a pressureregulator 12, a pressure gauge I3 and a dampening chamber [4. Air passes from the dampening chamber l4 through a pipe l5, T l6 and pipe H, which leads to the inlet opening it of the valve block I9. A similar pipe I? leads from the T It to the inlet openingIB of the valve block 19'. It is noted that th valve blocks lfi'and l9 are identical except that one is right. hand and the other is left hand and that, since-- all of the parts of the valve blocks are alike, they: will be given the same reference characters primed.

The valve block includes an outlet opening 20 in which a pipe 21 leads from this opening to an outlet pipe 22 which may be led past a plurality I of machines if desired so that the pipe 23 may pass the exhaust airinto a muffler 2 3 which may be arranged outside of the building housing this mech anism or in any suitable place. Valve block i9 ineludes an exhaust air outlet 29 which is connected into the exhaust line 22.

Between the valveblocks i9 and I9, there is a tubular guide 25 slotted at 25 to receive a piston 27. This piston carries a yarn guide 28 which passes through the slot 26 so that, when the piston reciprocates through the tube, the yarn guide will be reciprocated. 1 e I v Fig. lrshows the; valve block !9 w ith the inlet valve member 3! and outlet valve member 35 in a closed position, that is, valve member 3| by means of its face 32 lying against the shoulder 33 prevents air entering th inlet from entering the slideway 34 in which the spool-like valve member 30 may slide. Also, in this view, the spool memher by resting against the shoulder 35 prevents air from reaching the open end of the tubular member 25. At the same time, one of the flanges 35 lies partially over the outlet and, consequently, any air between the valve elements 3I and 33 can escape through the outlet 20'. This view shows the normal position of these parts.

Assuming that the piston 21 is moving rapidly in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, this piston 21 may move until the end 31 strikes the valve element 35, this element then beingv moved to the right with reference to Figs. 1 and 3 and, in so doing, engaging part 38 projecting from the flange 32 of valve element 3 I- moving it in its tubular guideway 39', this guideway being formed in the end 45 of the valve block- Valve element 3| is further provided with a flat 40 so that air will not be entrapped in the tubular slideway 39 and so that valve element 31 may rapidly move to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which air is free to enter through the air entrance I8. When this occurs, the air pressure immediately acts on exhaust valve moving it to the left, this valve element immediately striking or shoving the piston 21 rapidly to the left so that it will slide freely to the left through the slotted tube 25. The valve 30 moves to the left until-stopped by face in which position outlet passage 20 is opened and the high pressure air is free. to exhaust causing a rapid decrease in pressure on the front face of the inlet valve 3 I High pressure air remains on the back side of valve 3 I, however, and forces the valve closed against valve seat 33. Thus, the yarn guide element 28 which is carried by the piston 21 will be driven rapidly to the left and the piston will continue to slide as shown in Fig. 4 so that movement slightly beyond the position shown in Fig. 4 and in the direction shown by the arrow will cause the left-hand valve to move through the same cycle as above described for the right-hand valve.

These actions take place with extreme rapidity so that the yarn guide is oscillated back and forth.

In selecting the materials for the inlet and outlet valves, it has been found advantageous to use materials having a high coefli'cient of restitution, for example, certain plastics such as, for instance, nylon (which is believed to be a trade name for plastics of the type disclosed in Patent 2,071,250, Carothers, February 6, I937). Nylon is very desirable because of its self -lubricating qualities and because of its resiliency. Of course, any suitable material may be used for this purpose. Such a plastic, however, appears to require no lubrication and, since textile yarns may readily be soiled, such materials have distinct advantages. In addition, they are somewhat quieter than most metals would be used in the same manher.

In the above-mentioned Dyer and Dyer and Faw patents, a number of difi'erent specific forms of traverse mechanisms are shown and any desirable type may be'used. However, in Fig. 2 it will be noticed that the yarn guide 28 carried by the piston 21 projects from the slot 25 so that it will be moved axially of the slotted tube 25. The yarn strand Y is therefore, moved back and forth over an idler roll 50 carried on a suitable support 5I so that as the yarn Y is wound on a suitable support 5I, such as a cone, tube, or the like, a package 52 will be formed with the yarn Y distributed back and forth over the length of the package. The support 5!] may be rotated by a pulley 53, belt 54 and a pulley 55 driven by any suitable source of power.. While this forms one suitable means for winding the yarn into a final package, it is to be understood that any suitable Winding mechanism may be employed.

While the operation of my improved form of fluid-operated yarn guide carrier has been described above, it should be noted that the path of the fluid pressure-preferably pneumatic-is a closed one in that the compressed air flowing through the entrance I8 moves valve member 3I and with it. valve member 30 to the left until the left-hand flange on the valve member 35 strikes the shoulder 35 as the piston 21' is impelled in a leftward direction through the slotted tube 25. This left-hand flange of the valve member 30 at all times prevents compressed air from entering the tube 25. The right-hand flange, in the posi-''- tion shown in Fig. 3, shuts off the air outlet 23 but this, of course, occurs only momentarily because air entering the inlet I8 will drive the two valve elements to their Fig. 1 position in which the flange 33 is contacted by the valve element 3i, thereby cutting off compressed air from the slideway 34 and from the valve element 35. This operation, of course, takes place quite rapidly but it will be readily seen that at all times the entrance of air from the valve block I9 and into the tube 25 is prevented. Since the exhaust air passes from the outlet 25, it may be conducted through suitable pipes to a mufiler 24 so that the noise of operation is greatly reduced, if not entirely eliminated, by the construction described above.

A rotating support as used herein is intended to cover cones, tubes, reels, or other supports, on which yarn or other strand material or the like may be wound into a saleable package.

While the fluid guide control construction has been described herein as particularly suitable for use on yarn or other winding machines disclosed, for instance, in Patents 2,548,523 and 2,571,694, it is obvious that my invention may also be employed with other types of fluid control apparatus, and is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings forming a part of this specification or inthe construction shown in the abovementioned patents.

The term yarn as used in the specification and claims may be defined as including such a variety of strand material as is possibly wound on a machine of the type described herein.

Fromthe above, it will be'seen that there is 1 provided a device in which the several objects of my invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may readily be made, and as various changes may be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all the matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A fluid yarn guide control for a fluid operated traverse mechanism which is adapted to wind yarn on a rotating support and including a yarn guide, a piston carrying the yarnguide,

. 5 a slotted tube in which the piston may slide with the yarn guide extending through the slot in the tube, the fluidguide control comprising a valve valve blocks, said means lying in the path of the piston to be actuatedthereby in oneadirection to admit fluid pressure to pass into the valve, the

means including valve elements slidable in the:

valve block, the fluidpressure reacting on the valve elements and piston to reverse the'direction of movement thereof, the means also closing the tubeto'the entrance of fluid pressure.

2. A fluid yarn guide control'for a fluid operated traverse mechanism'which is adapted to ,zwind yarn; on a rotating support and including a yarn guide, a piston carrying the yarnguide, a slotted tube'in'which thepiston may slide with the yarn guide extending through the slot in the tube, the fluid guide control comprising a valve block at each end of the tube, fluid pressure inlets and outlets in each valve: block connected, to a fluid pressure line and an exhaust li-ne, valve members for controlling the flow of fluid pressure through the valve block, said valve members comprising an inlet valve member and an outlet valve member both slidably mounted in the valve block, one of the valve members closing the valve block from. the slotted tube.

3. A rapid traverse winding apparatus for yarn comprising a rotatable spindle on which yarn may be Wound, a fluid pressure operatedyarn guide, a piston carrying the yarn guide, a slotted tube in which the'piston may reciprocate, a valve block at each end of the slotted'tube, a fluid pressure entrance and exitin the valve block connected to fluid pressure inlet and outlet lines, 'a mufiler connected to the fluid outlet line, movable inlet and outlet valve members, one of which lies in the path of movement of the piston to be momentarily operated thereby to cause fluid pressure to be admitted to the valve block to reverse the movement of thevalve members and to re- 1 verse the movement of the piston, the valve mem- I which the valve inlet and outlet members may slide in axial alignment with the slotted tube.

5. The rapid traverse winding apparatus for .yarn' as defined in claim 3 characterized in that each valve block includes a pair of axially arranged slideways, one larger than the other in I ber lying in the path of the piston excluding fluid which the valve'inlet and outlet members may slide in axial alignment with the slotted tube,

the fluid pressure inlet opening into one slide-- way, and the fluid pressure outlet opening from the other slideway. j

6. The rapid traverse, winding apparatus for yarn as defined in claim 3 characterized in that each valve block includes a pair of axially arranged slideways; one larger than the other in which the valve inlet and outlet members may slide in axial alignment with the slotted tube,

the'fluid pressure inlet opening into one slideway, and the fluid pressure outlet opening from the other slideway, the outlet valve member hav- 6 Y ing 'an end'adapted to contact'withaniend of the" slideway adjacent'the slotted tube to prevent the outlet of air from the valve blockinto the slotted tube.

'7. The'rapid traverse winding apparatus for yarn as defined in claim 3 characterized in that each valve block includes a pair of axially arranged slideways, one larger than the other in which the valve inlet and outlet members may slide in axial alignment with the slotted'tube, the fluid pressure inletopening into one slideway, and the fluid pressure outlet openingfrom the other slideway, there being shoulders between the slotted tube and the outlet member slideway and between theinlet and outlet valve member slideways to form limitingstops for the inlet and outlet valve members.

8. The rapid traverse winding apparatus for yarn as defined in claim 3 characterized in that each valveblock includes a pair of axially ar ranged slideways, one larger than the other in whichthe valveinlet and outlet members may slide in axial alignment With the slotted tube, the

fluidpressure inlet opening into one slideway,

and the fluid pressure outlet opening-from the other slideway, there being shoulders between the slotted tube and the outlet member slideway and between the inlet and outlet valvemember slide ways to form limiting stopsfor the inlet and outlet -valve members against which the inlet'and outlet valve members norm-ally rest for excluding fluid pressure from the .slotted-tubaboth valve members being slidable against fluid pressure -momentarily when the piston strikes one slide member moving it into contact with and moving momentarilythe other valve member whereby fluid pressure maybe admitted to the valve to reverse movement of both slidable valve members and the piston.

9. In an improved fluid guide. control for a fluid operated traverse mechanism which is adapted to wind yarns on a rotating support comprising ayarn guide, a piston carrying the yarn guide, a slotted tube in which the piston may move, a valve block at each end of the tube,

- in a reverse direction to drive the piston through the tube in an opposite direction, characterized in that the fluid pressure is confined in the valve blocks and is prevented from entering the slotted tube.

10. The improved fluid yarn guide control for a fluid operated traverse mechanism, which is adapted to wind yarns on rotatable supports, of

trolling the fluid pressure inlet and outlet, one

of the slid-able valve members being positioned in the end of the path of the piston to be operated thereby and moved to a positionto contact and move thefluid pressure inlet valve and to be moved by the entering fluid pressure in a reverse direction whereby the slidable valve memthroughrthe tube in an opposite direction may move to a position to exclude fluid pressure from the valve block and the slotted tube.

11. A valve particularly adapted for use With a rapid traverse winding apparatus including a slotted tube, a piston carrying a winding guide projecting through the slotted tube, said valve comprising a valve block mounted on an end of the slotted tube and. having an air entrance and an air outlet therein, a pair of spaced valve seats in the block, an inlet valve member normally held against one valve seat by air from the air inlet, an outlet valve member normally resting on the other valve seat to open the air outlet, the piston being adapted to engage and move the outlet valve member-to a position in which the outlet is closed, whereby the outlet valve may engage and move the inlet valve member to admit air, enabling the entering air to. move the inlet valve to a closed position and to move the outlet valve member to openthe outlet for the escape of air so that the movement of the piston may be reversed.

12'. An improvement in a rapid traverse winding apparatus for yarn comprising a rotatable winding spindle on which a yarn winding member is mounted for rotation, a pneumatically operated yarn guide mechanism positioned adjacent thereto and adapted to guide yarn uniformly back and forth along the axis of therotating member to uniformly wind yarn on the member, the yarn guide mechanism including a piston carrying a yarn guide, a tube in which the piston reciprocates, a slot in the tube through which the yarn guide projects from the piston, and a valve block at each end of the tube, said improvement comprising, in combinationwith the valve block, an air inlet and an air outlet in the valve block leading into a valve slideway in the block, an inlet valve member in the slideway adjacent the air inlet to open and close the inlet, an air outlet valve member in the slideway movable to open and close the air outlet, the piston, air outlet valve and air inlet valve being 50 positioned that the piston may engage and move the outlet valve member and, the outlet valve member may in turn engage and move the inlet valve member, thereby reversing the direction of movement of the piston.

13. An improvement in a rapid traverse winding apparatus .for yarn asv defined in claim 12 characterized in that the inlet and outlet valve members are made of a material having a high coefiicient of restitution.

- RICHARD F. DYER. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dyer et al Apr. 10, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 2,548,523

Number 

